Friday the 13th: History, common superstitions, strange incidents that happened on the unlucky day

Why is Friday the 13th considered as the unluckiest day on the calendar?

"Friday the 13th" movie franchise captures the essence and fear of this unlucky day quite freakishly.Facebook

Friday the 13th, popularly considered as the unluckiest day, is back on 13 November, 2015. While many just take this day and the myths attached to it with a pinch of salt, there's no denying that it is widely accepted in the western culture as being the ill-fated/ inauspicious day on the calendar.

Some may just laugh it off, while many others are struck by this fear so bad, that they hold back from carrying daily tasks, or planning travel and business trips. The phobia of Friday the 13th is known as "friggatriskaidekaphobia" or "paraskevidekatriaphobia". And according to a study by the North Carolina Stress Management Center and Phobia Institute, an estimated 17 to 21 million people suffer from a fear of Friday the 13th, in the US. In fact, there's a series/ franchise of "Friday the 13th" movies that capture the fear of this day quite freakishly.

Friday the 13th, also known as Black Friday, occurs when 13th day of the month in the Gregorian calendar falls on a Friday. Interestingly, it's not very clear why Friday the 13th is considered unlucky in the western superstition or what its origin and history is. Though there is no written evidence about the superstition before the 19th century, myths behinds the number 13 and Friday can be tracked to at least 1700 BC.

Whether you believe it or not, there have been some weird and strange incidents that have occurred on this so-called "doomed day".

CLICK HEREto read some real life incidents and people struck by this unlucky day.

On Friday the 13th, we have compiled a list of popular myths and superstitions. So, you will encounter misfortune or have bad luck, if...

You break a mirror — that's seven years of bad luck.

You open an umbrella in the house.

You cut your hair on this day, someone in your family will die.

13 people dine together, then one of them will die within a year.

You start a trip on Friday the 13th, it will turn out to be disastrous.